Apparatus for drying grain, &amp;c.



No. 705,849. Patented July 29, I902.

M. KUNIG.

, APPARATUS FOR DRYING GRAIN, 81.0.

. (Application filed Mar. 14, 1900.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet Fly. 9.

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No. 705,849. Patented luly 29 I902.

M.- KUNIG.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING GRAIN, 8w.

. (Application mm; mm. 14, 1900'.) (No mun 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

No. 705,849. Patented July 29, 1902.

M. KDNIG.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING GRAIN, 8w.-

(Application meg m. 14, 1900.

(No Model.)

P nm N "0 K M APPARATUS FOR DRYING GRAIN, 81.0.

(Application filedJMar. 14, 1800.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

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UNITED I STATES:

PATENT OF IC MAX KGNIG, OF GROSSLICHTERFELDE, GERMANY.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING GRAIN, 84,0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,849,dated July 29,1902. Application filed March 14, 1900. Serial No. 8,625- (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MAX KoNIG, residing at 109 Ohausseestrasse,Grosslichterfelde, near Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, haveinvented a new Apparatus for Drying Grain and other Materials, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relatesto apparatus for drying grain and other materials.The said ap-- paratus is fitted with-troughs, which may or may not beheated and which are furnished with internally-arranged agitators orscoop mechanism provided with internal stationary heaters,aroundwhichthe agitators are caused to revolve. The action of the mechanism issuch that the material to be dried is lifted by the scoops and spreadthereby over the heater, where it slides along adjustable sections ofthe latter and finally returns or falls into its trough. By altering theinclination'of the said sections of the heater the material will becaused to slide more or less rapidly over the heating-surfaoethat 'is tosay, thematerial will remain in contact withthe heatingsurface for alonger or shorter period. The passage of the materialin the apparatustakes place at a uniform speed foreach particular inclination of theheating-sections through the action of the scoops of the agitator.

One object of this invention is to enable the speed of material which ismore or less moist to be altered independently of the agitator or scoopmechanism andalso independently of the inclination given to the sectionsof the heater. To this end the various sections of the heaters disposedwithin the drums and scoop mechanism are arranged to receive betweenthem pivotally-suspended iron strips adapted to be adjusted to variousinclinations without the necessity of having to open the apparatus.These strips or baffleplates, furthermore, are used for completelyemptying the apparatus after drying one material when it is desired todry a-different kind of material.

A further improvement in connection with this apparatus is that theventilating air-current produced by the action of the chimney may beutilized before entering the drying apparatus to cool or refrigerate thematerial, which is being discharged from the latter and to remove anymoisture from such ma- :plates b'to any desired inclination.

terial. In order to more speedily remove such moisture from thematerial, it is advantageousto cover the conveyer or battle-plates of adrum disposed below the last dryingtrough with sackcloth or similarmaterial.

. The invention will be readily understood by referring to theaccompanying drawings, inwhich Figures 1 and 1 are the two halves of avertical longitudinal section of the improved apparatus, and Fig. 2 is across-section of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a modification.-

The apparatus comprises two superposed troughs m, adapted to be heatedand fitted with agitators 6, having scoops g and heaters The troughs m,which may be heated by admission of steam into the space between theinner and outer walls of the troughs, m being the steam-inlets and m thesteam-outlets, are supported upon a strong frame, while the agitators erun on rollers 0', arranged at the exterior of the troughs, theirinternal heaters being independently supported upon externally-arrangedstandards d. Within the spaces provided between the various sections ofthe heater are located iron strips or baffleplates 1), suspended uponpivots u and adapted to be adjusted in a'forward or rearward direction.Below the heaters are situated the means for adjusting the position ofthe battle- The adjusting means consist of frame plates 1', formed witheyes or sockets which slide upon guide-barsj, and attached to theseplates are draw-bars p, projecting through one end of the trough toallow of moving such plates from the exterior of the apparatus in such amanner as to cause finger-pieces provided on the plates to bear againstthe strips or plates 5, and thus hold these latter at any desiredinclination. This arrangement may be obviously modified in such a mannerthat the adjusting device will be arranged in the upper part of the drumand the pivots of the baffle-plates b at the bottom thereof.- The scoopsg of the agitators e for picking up the 7 material in the troughs anddistributing it over the surfaces formed by the sections of the heater aalso serve in this case to convey the materials along the interior ofthe apparatus. This transmission of the material by the scoops g usuallytakes place at a uniform speed independent of the fact that the materialmay have different degrees of moisture and that naturally the most moistmaterial should remain for a longer period in the apparatus to enable itto dry, while the less moist material should be caused to pass out morerapidly to prevent it being dried beyond the desired degree. Byasuitable adjustment of the strips b between the sections of the heatersa more rapid or a slower transmission of the material in the apparatusmay be secured independently of the agitator or scoop mechanism and inan easy and expeditious manner without the necessity of opening theapparatus. For somewhat dry materials the strips or baffle-plates b areset to an incline in the direction of travel, as indicated in full linesin Figs. 1 and 1" of the drawings, while for comparatively moistmaterials the inclination of the strips or baffie-plates b is reversed,so thatthey incline in the opposite direction to that of the travel ofthe materiahas shown in dotted lines. In the first case the material, orrather a portion of it,moves quickly forward at intervals along thestrips or baffle-plates b in the direction of its travel, therebyacceleratin g the transmission in the drying apparatus; but in thesecond case the material is moved rearward to some extent, and in thismanner retards the transmission in the apparatus. The strips orbafile-plates b are, furthermore, of importance when it is required todischarge the whole of the grain or other material from the apparatus inorder to treat another kind of grain or in general when it is desired totreatdifferent materials in succession. The agitators or scoop mechanismalone cannot completely discharge the materials from the apparatus,owing to the decrease in the speed of travel after the feeding of thematerial is interrupted until finally the transmission of materialentirely ceases directly the level of the accumulated material sinks toa certain point. After this the scoops continue to lift the material;but as no further feeding of material takes place there is no forwardpressure, so that the material merely falls back in to the same place inthe apparatus without being conveyed forward. By setting the strips b ata suitable angle in the direction of travel of the material it Will bepossible for the strips b to convey and clear the very last part ofmaterial from the apparatus, as the said strips act independently of thescoop mechanism in conveying the said material. The arrangement composedof the parts already described'is completed, so as to constitute thedrying apparatus, by the provision of the side wallso and w,-front andrear walls 00, and cover Z, such parts inclosing the space around andabove the troughs m and the agitators and heaters. The cover Z isprovided with a chimney, which may, if desired, have a fan for drawingofi the steam arising from the drying materials and for creating anaircurrent.

In the lower part of the apparatus below the troughsmis arranged a drumt for use in case the dried material, such asgrain, after its dischargefrom the drying apparatus proper becomes moist by cooling. This drum t,which is constructed of perforated sheetiron or narrow-mesh wovenwire,and which, like the agitators e, is rotatably supported upon rollers r,is utilized for cooling the material and for removing moisturetherefrom. This result is elfect'ed by means of baffleplates n, arrangedin the interior of the drum t and adapted to lift the material and allowit to fall again, while at the same time a ven tilating-current of aircreated by the chimney above the cover Z passes through the drum andthrough the grain or the like, thereby cooling the latter-and removingthe moisture therefrom. The baffle-plates n in the drum may withadvantage be covered with sackcloth or similar material u, (see Fig. 3,)which absorbs the moisture from the grain while resting upon or slidingoverthe said plates 12., so that the grain is, so to speak, dried by thecovering material. The moisture absorbed by the cloth evaporates and iscarried off by the current of air. The said current is also utilized forventilating the drying compartments in the following manner.

The apparatus has on both sides of the walls o and w wooden Walls y,having spaces be tween them, the space outside the wall .10 beingcompletely closed, while that outside the wall o is provided at the topwith apertures 2, which serve as air-inlets for the ventilatingair-current, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. The air-currentpasses downward through the space between the wooden wall y and wall r,thereby absorbing heat from the latter, and then into the perforateddrum t. A deflecting-plate q is so arranged as to compel the air-currentto pass through the drum t and cool and free the material therein frommoisture. As the air by this means becomes partly or wholly saturatedICC with moisture it will be necessary to heat the same in order torender it capable of absorbing more moisture in passing through thedrying apparatus. For this purpose the apparatus is so arranged that theair after passing through the drum 2? impinges against the lower portionof the trough m, and, if desired, also against heating-tubes .9, wherebyit absorbs the radiated heat from such trough and tubes. The air thenpasses through holes 0 in the wall to into the drying chamber above thelower trough. When the apparatus is provided with two troughs withagitators and heaters a, as shown, the air-current is caused to passcrosswise above the lower trough, thereby carrying oif the moisturerising from the material therein. The air then passes upward 'along theupper trough and toward the cover Z, carrying ed the moisture arisingfrom the material in the upper trough, and finally escaping'as a mixtureof air and moisture through the chimney. When the drying apparatus hasonly a single trough with agitator and heater, then the air-current onissuing through the holes passes. crosswise above the trough directlyinto the cover 5 l. In order to obviate the necessity of hav-.

ing heating-tubes s, the air-current may be supplied to the drum tatsuch a temperature as to be capable of absorbing the moisture from thematerial to be cooled, as well as absorbing the moisture in the dryingapparatus. In order to insure a uniform passage of the air-currentthrough the drum t and the drying-chambers, it is advantageous to makethe holes 0 in the Wall w of different sizes. The x 5 farther theseholes are from the chimney the larger should be the size thereof. Thisenables the'various separate air-currents which pass through the holes 0to be rendered entirely uniform. Thus the ventilation of the drum t andof the apparatus is really perfect,

as the removal of the moisture'frorn thematerial to be dried is effecteduniformly throughout and in the shortest way.

The material is fed into the hopper Z, Figs. 1 and 1 and passes into theupper trough m, from which it escapes through a channel 2 into the lowertrough, which it leaves at 3. The dried material then passes through thechute 4 into the drum 1? and is finally discharged through thedischarge-chute 5. The heating agent passes through the pipe 6 into theheating apparatus in the upper trough, thence through theconnecting-pipe '7 into th lower trough, which itleavesat'S. 3 5 Theagitators and scoop mechanism-may be driven by chain and chain-wheels k.

What I declare to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a drying apparatus for drying grain and other materials, thecombination of a trough for receiving the materials, an agitatorprovided with an internal stationary heater, consisting of separateinclined-sod tions,-and adjustable baffle-plates or strips locatedbetween the heater-sections, essentially as and for the purposedescribed;

' 2. In a drying apparatus for drying grain and other materials, thecombination of a trough for receiving the materials, an agita- 5o torprovided with an internal stationary finger-pieces bearing against thesaid baffleplates,and means for moving said finger-pieces in forward orrearward direction for adjusting the baffle-plates into forwardly andrearwardly inclined positions, essentially as and for the purposedescribed.

4. In a drying apparatus for drying grain and other materials thecombination of a trough for receiving the materials, an agitatorprovided with an internal stationary heater consisting of separateinclined sections, pivotally suspended baffle '-plates located betweenthe heater sections, fingerpieces bearing against said baffle-plates foradjusting the baffle-plates into forwardly and rearwardly inclinedpositions, and draw-bars projecting through the end of the trough formoving'said finger-pieces from the outside of 8d the apparatus,essentially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a drying apparatus for drying grain and other materials, thecombination of a trough for receiving the 'materials an agitatorprovided with a heater, adjustable baffleplates, a perforated drumhaving internal scoops and located underneath the trough, air-passages,and guide-plates for conducting a ventilating air-current through thedrum and farther on through the heating portion of the apparatus intothe chimney, essentially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- DGSSGS.

MAX KONIG.

Witnesses:

HENRY HASPER, WOLDEMAR HAUPT.

